Laporta says rivals are worried about Barcelona’s new signings
The club president was very critical of Bayern Munich and did not rule out “more reinforcements” as he targeted “making a great team”.
Joan Laporta addressed all the current topics related to FC Barcelona without much hesitation. For more than twenty minutes he answered all the questions fired at him while in attendance at the UNHCR refugee organization in the middle of Fifth Avenue in New York. Koundé, Frenkie, Azpilicueta, Messi, Real Madrid, Tebas, Bayern... nothing escaped the Blaugrana chief. Here is a summary...
Laporta answers Barça questions
Koundé: “Very happy. It is one more demonstration that players want to come even if they’re paid less. Xavi deserves this effort. We are making a team. When a player wants to come to Barça, that helps a lot in the negotiations.”
Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso: “Don’t make me say names. What is clear is that we want two equivalent players in each position. And if it’s possible there could be some more additions.”
Frenkie de Jong: “He wants to stay and we want him to stay. That is the most important thing. What is clear is that we have a new salary scale and all the players have to fit into it. We are trying to make these players understand the reality of the club. We find ourselves with a salary mass triggered by more than 40%. We all have to make an effort. We are going to do everything possible to make him stay and we hope that the player will also do everything possible to stay.”
Bayern Munich: “I have noticed a certain ignorance and lack of information on the part of some of those responsible, some have even gone so far as to distort reality. It is true that a year ago we were in a critical situation. But we are a 122-year-old club with very important assets. They were not aware of the strength and support that this club has. If I don't get involved in how they manage the club, I would ask them to do the same and not mess with us. Let them worry about their own."
“Rivals are worried”
Real Madrid: “I see some rivals a little worried about how we are doing things and that means we are doing them well. I respect all opinions, but it is clear that they are concerned. That is that we are becoming competitive again. We’ll see you on the pitch.”
Messi: “It is clear that Leo’s time at Barça did not end as we all would have liked. I feel jointly responsible for this ending. I believe that it is a provisional end and that we will make this aspiration a reality. We have a clear moral debt with him and I would like the final part of his career to be with the Barça shirt and being applauded everywhere.”
Javier Tebas: “We hope very soon to have the possibility of having the 1v1 in the fair play to be able to register, although we already know that LaLiga sometimes has different interpretations. We are already with a positive balance this season after bringing in €667 million to offset the €600m in losses. In any case, if any problem arises, we will solve it, as we have always done.”
Best squad in Europe: “Football waits for nobody. The demands on us are higher than those of other clubs. I have the feeling that we are working well. We are building a great squad thanks to Xavi’s knowledge. The message we are sending to the world is very clear: we are awake, we are back and we are going to compete for everything.”
Economic levers: “I would have preferred not to sell assets, but we were in a terminal situation and we had to do it. Now we are out of the hospital and eager for action. In any case, this sale of assets does not in any way put the legal ownership of the club at risk.”